House Concurrent Resolution 9

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION MOURNING THE LOSS AND COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MR. JOSEPH "JOE" DERA AND EXPRESSING DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS UPON HIS PASSING.

WHEREAS, on October 10, 2025, the State of Mississippi and particularly, the City of Bentonia lost a renowned music publicist, innovative businessman, brilliant thinker and great mentor with the passing of Joseph "Joe" Dera, and there is now a hush in our hearts as we come together to pay our respects to the memory of a man whose prolific impact on the music industry throughout his five-decade career will not be forgotten; and

WHEREAS, Joe, who was born on January 23, 1951, moved with his family from the Netherlands to New Jersey in 1956, and during his time in elementary school, he balanced academics with his busy social life, managing to learn a new language while making many lifelong friends; and

WHEREAS, after graduating high school in Clifton, New Jersey, Joe attended Morris County Community College, where he began writing a column for the Aquarian Weekly; and

WHEREAS, Joe made his first foray into the music industry when he interviewed Robert Palmer for the paper, and as fate would have it, Joe later became Robert Palmer's press agent; and

WHEREAS, finding his niche and building on his momentum, Joe got a job at Wartoke Concern, a talent agency, which landed him a summer job at Track Records, the label for The Who, where he learned first-hand about record promotion by delivering singles like "Baba O'Reilly" to radio stations in the Midwest; and

WHEREAS, Joe then joined Rogers and Cowan, the world's largest entertainment firm, as a press agent, and he soon signed and represented music legends such as David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Les Paul, the Bee Gees and George Benson; and

WHEREAS, among Joe's most notable accomplishments at Rogers and Cowan were overseeing Bowie's Serious Moonlight Tour in 1983 and representing the historic charity concert Live Aid in 1985; and

WHEREAS, when he was ready to branch out and establish his own business, Joe received help from his former interview subject and long-time client Robert Palmer, who gave Joe the seed money to start his own agency, Dera and Associates, and the new agency became a raging success, representing stars such as Billy Joel, Queen, Clint Black, Duran Duran, Foreigner, Ray Davis, Pink Floyd, The Band and Rick Springfield; and

WHEREAS, Joe managed publicity for three former members of the Beatles - Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band, George Harrison and Paul McCartney - ultimately serving as Paul's spokesman for over 20 years and eventually representing his wife, Linda McCartney, in her many endeavors; and

WHEREAS, as the former publicist for Mississippi blues legend B.B. King and the husband of Madison native Suzanne Case, Joe held strong ties to the great Magnolia State even before he became a resident, and after he retired in 2016, Joe's love of the blues and historic homes compelled him to move with his wife to the Mississippi Delta, where he lived the remainder of his life; and

WHEREAS, Joe and his wife lived in the historic Bradshaw House in Yazoo County, lining the walls with photographs and memorabilia from his long career in the music business, and they were active in rescuing and caring for stray and abandoned dogs they found along the Mississippi Delta, with Joe often remarking, "I have more dogs than I need and less than I want"; and

WHEREAS, Joe easily assimilated into life as a Mississippian, placing a bottletree in his yard, driving a white pickup truck, using his business acumen to provide free public relations counsel to local businesses like The Flora Butcher, visiting friends like Jimmy "Duck" Holmes at the Blue Front Café in Bentonia, and making the pilgrimage to the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola to pay his respects to his friend and former client; and

WHEREAS, though he spent years traveling the world and living under the bright lights of New York City, Joe found joy in the simple pleasures Mississippi is known to offer, stating, "I don't miss the snow. It's all summer weather here"; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to recognize and honor the lives of Mississippi's iconic residents, especially those such as Joe Dera, a key player in some of the most iconic moments in popular music and culture and a true American success story:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby mourn the loss and commemorate the life and legacy of Joseph "Joe" Dera, and express deepest sympathy to his family and friends upon his passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the family of Joseph "Joe" Dera and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.